World Cooking

This is my essential, everyday side salad—the side that goes with absolutely everything—and a mainstay on my dinner table (125 calories or 1 WW point). It’s so simple that it almost doesn’t merit a recipe, but that’s never stopped me before, so: The base is made strictly with fresh veggies—a crispy, crunchy, cool mix of iceberg lettuce, cucumber, tomato, grated carrot, red onion, and a small batch of zesty balsamic vinaigrette, leaving you plenty of room for variations.

You can double the recipe, cut it in half, make it more of a meal by adding chicken, steak, fish, or beans, or dress it up with croutons, cheese, and nuts. You can swap out the dressing for whatever you prefer. You can even make it a day ahead. In short, you can’t screw it up!

The balsamic vinaigrette recipe makes a small batch—1/4 cup—enough to dress the whole salad. If you’d rather serve the dressing on the side, I’d suggest doubling or tripling the vinaigrette recipe (maintaining this ratio: 1 part balsamic vinegar to 2 parts olive oil) to allow each person to have a 2-tablespoon serving.

Enjoy!